Sitting in a grand ornate chair made from black velvet and gold, was a man with long black hair and Ice blue eyes. His eyes were like those of a sly fox, pointed upwards and sharp at the edges. His nose was straight and beautifully formed. His jaw and cheekbones were both strong and delicate. His lips were sinfully beautiful and temptingly kissable. His body could make artists weep. He was both stunningly beautiful and shockingly deadly. His looks could even tempt straight men, but he was still widely feared. This was the Ice Emperor.
The chair he was perched on was sitting in a hidden room beside his private study. He wore a long black silk night robe with golden dragon embroidery. Beside the chair was a little table and on the table was a cup of tea and an ornate silver mask. It looked like it was covered in frost with swirls on it and snowflakes. He picked up the mask and put it on his face. The mask covered the right side of his face and curved around his left eye, covering the bridge of his nose. It was an enchanted mast the form fitted to the wearer's face and suppressed their aura and magic. There was no need to fasten the mask in place since it fit perfectly. This was the only way that he could talk with others and they would retain their dignity.
As he sat there sipping his tea, he contemplated the possibility of getting his long standing illness healed. In all reality he couldn't expect to live very long if things continued to progress along their current route. Thinking about his life up to this point and leaving this world with his current accomplishments, he felt unwilling. Although he was the emperor and thought of as a fearful character, he had nothing to give to history, and he had no proper heirs. Wouldn't his wife's family just make a move to take over as soon as he passed? Wouldn't they just consider their own benefits regardless of how bad they hurt the people and country?
A man dressed all in tight black, climbed in through a small window above and skitters along the ceiling beams. He rested on a light fixture hanging from the ceiling and crouched in the shadows. It brought the uncomfortable feeling of being watched by a spider that had hidden in the shadows, waiting for its prey to appear.
"This servant Zen arrives to report the findings of observing 'Lady Jinks' over the past week," he said.
His voice was somewhat quiet with a grovely tone, as if he wasn't accustomed to talking. Which in fact he wasn't. He rarely said more than two sentences in just as many weeks. His job was to silently observe and not be seen by others. It was this bad habit of his that made him unable to function normally in social situations or behave in any normal fashion. This type of man was basically assumed to be doomed to a life of solitude. This however, was no great hardship to him considering that he was what others would call a serious introvert or a recluse. He in fact didn't like people in the least. This was due to the family in which he'd be raised.
"You may speak," the Ice Emperor said. Then he took another sip of tea.
"Over the past week, the woman who refers to herself as Lady Jinks has successfully cured what was considered an incurable disease and healed a mute who'd never spoken before. She has infiltrated the Vermilion Pavilion, and stolen all of the smuggled items. She contracted a legendary creature, a celestial creature, and a shadow pixie. She has made some mystical medicine that has successfully sold well in auction. She has gained a small clinic from Dr. Denari and will be entering the medical exams soon. She has also collected a few new subordinates. I have yet to learn her real identity because she often disappears out of thin air, likely due to her contracting with a shadow pixie. However, I have tracked her to the Shadow Forest. She is often seen going in and out of there. As of yet, the Vermilion Pavilion hasn't attempted making any new moves against her, since my last report. Would you like me to continue to intercept any new threats that show up?"
"Yes, continue to take care of any threats without being seen. I feel like it'll be time for her and I to have our first meeting soon."
Zen lowered his face respectfully and planted his fists on the wooden beams. "Forgive me but, your majesty, please reconsider. We don't know anything about this woman. Are you really going to put such an important issue related to your health in the hands of an unknown entity? This concerns the safety and future of the empire."
"If you don't know anything about her, isn't that your fault? You are in charge of following her, yet you consistently lose track of her. I don't have much more time to get this curse under control. At that time, not even a celestial doctor would be able to save me. Where do you see that I have time to wait? If you have concerns, figure out how to monitor her more closely. Until then, keep her safe. There can be no mistakes. You're dismissed," the Ice Emperor said.
Zen saluted the emperor with his fist over his heart and then skittered along the upper beams and slipped out of the small opening in the window. He was headed back to the little cave that he's been living in these past few days. This little cave was in the Shadow Forest near where he often saw Lady Jinks come to pick herbs.